Missions to Movements
Digital marketing and social media trends seem to change every day. It can be hard to know where to spend your time, energy, and money to make an impact. Each Wednesday, join Dana Snyder, speaker, digital strategist for nonprofits, and CEO and Founder of Positive Equation, as she interviews guests sharing real-world marketing case studies from organizations making a positive impact in the world and short-form episodes with actionable social media tips to implement right away. Whether you’re looking to enhance your social media strategies, grow your recurring giving efforts, or just hear some great advice to feel inspired, this is the podcast for you. Let’s turn your mission into a movement! www.positiveequation.com Instagram: @positivequation
Missions to Movements
How To Create a PSA Video That *Actually* Raises Attention & Inspires Action with Shannon Fitzgerald
What if the key to turning your mission into a movement lies in the power of video?
Shannon Fitzgerald from The Hooligans Agency is here to reveal how creative video content can revolutionize advocacy and nonprofit work.
And you DON’T need a massive budget to make a significant impact.
You’ll hear the incredible story behind two “fake” horror movie trailers designed with a scrappy budget in less than a week (!) for Gas Leaks Action, that educated audiences about the dangers of natural gas.
These ads received a TON of earned media attention, even landing in movie theaters during Halloween season.
Shannon has one heck of a resume, going from Hollywood to spearheading 80+ campaigns for democratic and climate initiatives.
You’re no doubt going to learn so many practical tips for aligning your creative projects with your core values, and why the “MAYA Principle” is so special (it will help your content resonate more deeply!)
This episode is for you if you’re ready to elevate your social impact mission with video.
P.S. Join me for my Book Launch Tour at the Kendra Scott store in Sarasota, FL on September 18th! RSVP here.
Resources & Links
Learn more about Shannon’s work on her agency website and connect with her at shannon@thehooligansagency.com, or on LinkedIn.
Check out the video examples discussed in this episode: Silent But Deadly for Gas Leaks Action and Assume That I Can for CoreDown.
Join The Sustainers, my Slack community for nonprofit professionals growing and scaling a recurring giving program.
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So we do a lot of work for advocacy and nonprofit groups and the client is a climate coalition who are trying to educate young voters of color about the dangers of natural gas. They wanted to do two ads one about the dangers in the house, like your gas stove could leak or your heater or whatever, and then fracking outside, which causes environmental climate disasters. And so I'm like, well, we're kind of getting close to Halloween season, what if we did like a two fake horror movie trailers? And it tested through the roof and got all kinds of earned media, was named one of the best Halloween ads of the season, along like Bacardi and Ikea and Meta, and we made it in a week using stock footage. It's a testament to some creativity and ingenuity and scrappiness and resourcefulness that you can make really great, meaningful content without spending a gazillion dollars and needing months and months to do it.
Speaker 2:Hey, there, you're listening to the Missions to Movements podcast and I'm your host, Dana Snyder, digital strategist for nonprofits and founder and CEO of Positive Equation. This show highlights the digital strategies of organizations making a positive impact in the world. Ready to learn the latest trends, actionable tips and the real stories from behind the feed, let's transform your mission into a movement. Ready to learn the latest trends, actionable tips and the real stories from behind the feed, let's transform your mission into a movement.
Speaker 3:Hello listener, welcome back to another episode of the Missions to Movements podcast and I'm really excited because today's guest says she hikes with me in her ear as she listens to the podcast. So I don't know what you're doing right now, but if you're hiking, hope you're having a great hike. If you're washing dishes, scrub them real clean. It's just an honor to be in your earbuds, in your ear right now, and I love chatting with guests who are also listeners of the podcast, and Shannon Fitzgerald has one heck of a resume and conversation for us today, so I'm so excited to chat. She left Hollywood, which we both kind of have in common in the entertainment world, to work full time as a democratic creative strategist. She has worked on over 80 congressional and statewide races across the country and now she works with the award-winning her own creative agency, the hooligans, in the spring of 2020. It was launched launch in a brand new business baby in COVID man rock and roll. Shannon, welcome. So much to the show.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Dana, and if you're hiking folks, I recommend the notes app. Just whip it out, write down the tangible takeaways and shove it back in your pocket. Off you go. That's what I do.
Speaker 3:There you go. That's what I do too. I have to say I am very obsessed with the LinkedIn headline of what it is that you say you do. Let me just read it for everybody Shannon pitched herself to be on the show and of course I do a little bit of social lurking and I go to LinkedIn for that. And it says we make culturally dope Hollywood quality video content for agencies, causes and brands with a heart, because good content really can change the world. Beautiful.
Speaker 3:Now you have quite the incredible entertainment background. You've worked on productions at MTV, at Warner Brothers, at Sony, at Lifetime you were part of the pilot I think this is just a pin on everything of keeping up with the Kardashians, a show that I think everybody in the world knows, and then pivoted to the political arena doing campaign content and then now you run your own agency. There's so much to cover with what you do. Video good video, no doubt, is so powerful. I'm sure you've seen this across all of the different genres that I kind of just covered, that you've worked in. But right now, in 2024, what does good video actually mean?
Speaker 1:No, it's a great question and it's, I suppose, to some degree a subjective thing. But I think, in the context of nonprofits and advocacy and even political campaigns and brands who have a really strong social impact message, or folks just trying to make sure that their values are communicated to an audience, I think there's this default setting that, because we're in serious subject territory, that we have to be serious, like it has to be a PSA or it has to be one of those videos that you've seen a million times and on political campaigns, or it's a default setting and it's like there's this belief that you can't be what I would say entertaining which can be, I mean, just good old fashioned storytelling, right, whether you make someone laugh, cry, move them to do the thing you want them to do, but you can do that in an entertaining way and be substantive. And I think there's this feeling that you have to be serious and, like I said, this default setting of the quasi PSA or PSA or traditional political content and you don't.
Speaker 3:How do you get out of that default setting?
Speaker 1:Oh, you're asking the big questions. Well, it's convincing, right? Because they've only known one way to do things, and it goes really for anybody who is risk adverse or who feels uncomfortable getting out of their comfort zone. One of the things that we try and do is say look, we have built an entire agency model and come from a background where we understand how to work through the discomfort of a new idea. Right On the other side of that discomfort is something that is going to more than likely be attention grabbing. It will help you to stand out, but let us deal with the discomfort of something new on your behalf and we get to their side. We'll collaborate, we'll bring you into that and ease you into maybe moving those creative, risk-taking goalposts out just a little more than you're used to.
Speaker 1:So, really about convincing the clients who you know, because sometimes they'll come and they'll say we really want to do something out of the box, and then you quickly realize what my idea of out of the box is and what theirs is. Different things, so it's also figuring out where we sort of meet somewhere in the middle usually yes, yes, absolutely.
Speaker 3:When you talk about I love the psa topic that you just mentioned talk about what do you think is like traditional video script per se formula versus what would you say is more of like a new age way of approaching it.
Speaker 1:Well, the typical thing it's almost like you could see the parody of it. You know where it's serious. It's stock footage or it's two camera testimonials. It's very serious. They're usually too long. It's a digital spot always too long, trying to pack in way too much information instead of really drilling down on the core message you want people to walk away from, when we think, if we give facts and figures and information, that it will convince people that we're worth supporting or whatever the case may be, and it's just not you really need to.
Speaker 1:I say like it should be emotional, personal and cultural, right? So what I mean by that is we pick one emotion right. Do we want to make them laugh, cry, get angry? What is it we want them to do? Or feel Personal? It has to. You think about your audience and you know you have to meet them where they're at, not just on the platforms in which they're consuming content, but where they are in their life. Tap into something that they're experiencing in the world. What problem are you solving for them? Or it's just finding a personal connection and using culture, you know, to a cultural moment, a cultural trope, something that feels culturally relevant to your audience, which is our job to help them figure out what those three components are.
Speaker 3:Yes, and so you know you mentioned those three things. My mind goes back to and I'm curious, how it relates working on the pilot of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and a pilot for those in not in the entertainment world. Every show, including the Friends of the World, go through a pilot episode in which they're not sure if it's going to actually get picked up or not. And so the pilots, if you notice, on most seasons of shows even I was watching with Suits recently are a little rough, a little rough around the edges because they're just testing out the concept, but I think, very similar to what you were just talking about. Those three main qualities of it are relevant, those two. What do you think Because I'm kind of relating, kind of a pilot to a PSA of the pilot of that show? You don't know if it's going to be successful. What do you think it was about? That specific show that's now had a bazillion seasons, is now on Hulu, had its run on E, obviously. What do you think made it successful at the beginning?
Speaker 1:Well, there's always a little bit of a lightning in a bottle thing, right. If we all knew what was going to make a video go viral or what makes a hit TV show, we'd all be a lot more successful. But I think it goes back to what I was saying earlier and I'll unpack it a little bit more, which is, I'm really comfortable in the discomfort of not quite knowing what an idea is yet. Right, I'm like there's something here, so let me figure out what that is. And the pilot is a great way to sort of unpack that and really kind of put the show on its feet before it goes out into the world. But even prior to that, there's a step where you're developing the idea. You have to take it out and pitch it right and get a network to buy it. It's really thinking about not making it so out of the box that people have no context for it, like it's too out there, but not making it so familiar that it bores people. So it's like the perfect combination. Right, there's a name for it. It's actually called the Maya principle most advanced yet acceptable. And the idea is that the thing that makes ideas or people or products breakthrough is the perfect formula of the familiar and the unfamiliar. Right Hamilton, the play right Like it's a historical story we all know, but it's wrapped. So you want to give a familiar sandbox and then innovate sandbox.
Speaker 1:So with the Kardashians, what was going on at the time was very sort of vacuous, simple life, young Hollywood backdrop, but like girls doing stuff that didn't have much substance. And I had actually met Kim through mutual contacts and she was telling me one day that she and her sisters had just started these clothing stores out in Calabasas and they were legitimately trying to figure out how to be business women. And they said we feel like we've got the goods but we're learning and we're just making mistakes every day and falling on our face. But we're going to do this, we're determined to make this happen and along the way we're going to fight a lot. And sure enough, I met the other sisters and they do indeed that exactly that family. But they love each other and I thought what an interesting entry point.
Speaker 1:So if what? And the unscripted side of television is working as this sort of young Hollywood backdrop, I want to make it more aspirational and give something that feels a little more of a journey that young women can go on with these sisters, which is entrepreneurialism, starting a business, figuring out who you're going to be in the world. So, yes, is it a fluffy reality show? Sure, but it has some heart and something a little different. So I thought, well, we've got the familiar framework, we've got our sandbox and, within that, something a little different.
Speaker 3:Interesting. I love that component. Okay, let's actually talk about this in relation to the campaign that you worked on the horrors of methane gas case study and how this all came to be Okay. So let's set the stage a little bit. Can you talk about who was the client and what was the goal?
Speaker 1:So we do a lot of work for advocacy and nonprofit groups and the client is a climate coalition who are trying to educate young voters of color about the dangers of natural gas. So we call it natural gas. It's really methane gas, which is a fossil fuel, and it's incredibly toxic and it leaks within your homes and cause childhood asthma and cancer. It's part of the fracking world and it's a hot mess and so they wanted to do something really fun and cultural to break through, because they know, as we do, that that audience is unlikely going to engage if it's a typical PSA the dangers of natural gas and your stove leaks and da, da, da and like who cares, it can't get more exciting than that.
Speaker 1:Whoa boy, yeah, like you try making a young audience care about natural gas.
Speaker 1:But I had this idea they wanted to do two ads one about the dangers in the house, like your gas stove could leak or your heater or whatever, and then fracking outside which causes environmental climate disasters. And so I'm like, well, we're kind of getting close to Halloween season. What if we did like a two fake horror movie trailers? So 30 second ads, you think for a minute it's a real horror movie, right? So you're, of course, going to lean in and then, before you realize it, it was that we're actually talking about the dangers, of the dangers coming from inside the house, and it tested through the roof and got all kinds of earned media, was named one of the best Halloween ads of the season, along like Bacardi and Ikea and Meta, and we made it in a week using stock footage you know, just getting resourceful. So it's a testament to some creativity and ingenuity and scrappiness and resourcefulness that you can make really great meaningful content without spending a gazillion dollars and needing months and months to do it.
Speaker 3:Yes, Okay, and I want to talk about too. When you say scrappiness, I'm sure so many organizations listening can attest to this. When it comes to video, we think big budgets For something like that. You're using stock footage, you're going basically right into post. There's no filming of anybody in that. What kind of budget is somebody looking at to produce something like that?
Speaker 1:Well, those are two 30 second ads and so I think for both of them it was around, I want to say, 35,000, something like that, 30,000 maybe for two. And then we also created the 15 second cut down, so they had four deliverables. You know, they had 15 second ad, a 30 second ad and turned around in a week, so turned around in a week. Yeah, yeah, we work fast. Some of this, a lot of the stuff on our website, is done even faster than that, believe it or not, because a lot of the political particularly the political world, but also the advocacy and non-profit world can often, even if they've known for a while, they need a piece of. They'll usually come to us pretty last minute and say can we get this done by the end of the week? I'm like sure.
Speaker 3:So please don't go to her with a weak deadline. Ideally, if you can, that's super fast. Okay, they wanted the advocacy. They wanted it, obviously an awareness factor. Was there something? They received a ton of earned media for this? Can you explain in this case, what earned media was?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So, for instance, the Guardian ended up picking up an article or writing an article about the need to create new kinds of content around the climate change issue, because everyone's tired of the dystopian.
Speaker 1:The world is going to end if we don't do something, and it's down to you. And that's not relatable. It feels too far out of reach, it feels untenable that anything the average person is going to do is going to make a difference. So what about something closer to home, something that's cultural, something that's like oh, using a cultural trope that helps them grasp the idea that the dangers in their house, in this everyday appliance, let's say, or right outside their house, if you are in a black or brown community, you are more likely to live in an area where there is fracking and environmental hazards. And so let's find a different way to grab their attention. Sort of a bait and switch, right, so that again, it's 30 seconds, right? They think it's a horror ad. And then, before they know it, they got their message you wanted them to get and they got entertained along the way. But do you think they were going to look at it without that wrapping mirror?
Speaker 3:Right, right, did they get sent to a website?
Speaker 1:Well, they were digital ads, so they went out on Hulu, facebook, et cetera, et cetera. And then they tested really well. So the idea was an information campaign, but could we persuade people? So they got tested. Could we persuade them? Did they have good recall, were they able to retain the information and would it potentially change their minds about this issue? And it tested double digits, which I guess is unheard of. So they ended up putting it in movie theaters through the month of October to capitalize on Halloween season, which I thought was a brilliant move by the executive director. He was like we've got genius Cause, then you've got a captive audience. They're sitting there, right, what are you doing? You know?
Speaker 3:that whole thing where you're like I've got like 15 minutes, that is awesome, yeah, yeah. And you could add a QR code to that. I'm not sure if they did.
Speaker 1:I don't think they did, but yes, those work really well. But the earned media play is, you know, anytime you get press or basically free publicity. So we got the Guardian the Drum, which is an industry advertising, industry publication and news outlet. They call it the best, one of the best ads of the Halloween season.
Speaker 3:So Very cool For anybody that's curious just because I don't know if somebody is, but I am how does the distribution work of getting an ad into a movie theater?
Speaker 1:Well, they would have media placement services. So a media buyer who would presumably place those ads in the relevant territories for the appropriate audiences, that kind of thing Same. Probably the same vendors that would place a digital ad by, or TV buys that kind of thing.
Speaker 3:Okay Okay, I was just curious. I think that's such like a unique buys that kind of thing. Okay Okay, I was just curious.
Speaker 1:I think that's such a unique placement for organizations to consider it was genius, it was perfect, it was absolutely perfect, it was such a good idea.
Speaker 3:That's amazing. Okay, I'm going to link to this video in the show notes so everyone can watch this example of a video. Have you seen any other examples, specifically within the nonprofit space, with videos that have been really compelling and really outside of the box to you?
Speaker 1:Yes, and you may have seen it. I'm forgetting the name of the organization. It was advocating for people with Down syndrome. Did you see that with the young woman who-.
Speaker 3:Yes, I knew exactly recently on social Yep.
Speaker 1:Yep, and it was basically just saying, you know, breaking down false perceptions and really laying out in a compelling, fast, energetic, modern, fresh, just really inspiring way that people with Down syndrome are capable of so much more than we give them credit for. And I cannot remember the name of the organization.
Speaker 3:I'm looking it up right now. Yes, this was huge. The new work it's called Assume that I Can.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's it. Assume that I Can.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, assume that I Can. And it says the organization Italian nonprofit, cordon developed with a creative agency. Small. It's incredible. Yes, it's so good. Again, I will also put this in that yes, I saw it on social that blew up.
Speaker 1:I 100 love this I wish that I could give you more examples, and that's part of the. The frustration is that there are so few when you're talking about well, and even on the brand side and they tend to spend a lot more money and have a lot more time that there's so few ads that really break through and do something interesting and that stand out.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. What is your process like for starting to get those ideas flowing?
Speaker 1:The mystery that is creativity, as I'm sure you know it's. I try and get all the inputs I need, all the information that I need right Audience and insights and research and strategic objectives and all that stuff. And I'll listen to music, I will pop around on the internet, I'll look at things that have inspired me and sometimes ideas just come and I'll start just making very top line notes about different ways we can skin the cat that I can go back to the client with. So usually within a day or two I'll go back and say here's like three, four, five, six very top line ways that we can approach this, Starting with like something that's a little maybe left of center, and then moving those goalposts out, and then they have a range of things to pick from.
Speaker 1:But it really is just paying attention to a nugget of an idea, grabbing that out of the ethers, because that's what it does feel like sometimes and then going okay, is this something? And then you kind of noodle with and you go, you toss it and then you go wait a minute, here's something. Let me keep going with this. Yep, Yep, Yep, Yep. This is something down, put it in the document, and it's that process and I never really know where they're going to come from, and sometimes there'll be an idea that's been waiting. I'm like I'm dying to do this, but I need to find the right client who will let me do it. So sometimes things line up I'm like oh, this is the one.
Speaker 3:That's awesome. That's awesome. I love it. Okay, so thank you so much for outlining those for us. I think this is just such an important conversation on content and really coloring outside the lines and getting creative, because that's what it's taking to be seen. I like to ask two questions and wrapping up a conversation, and that is what is one thing, shannon, that you would like to ask for help or support on.
Speaker 1:Wonderful clients, advocacy brands who have some interesting social impact component, you know, non-profits who value good, creative and are interested in doing something different and our values aligned with us. Of course they have to. That has to all line up, always looking for interesting people who are collaborative and kind, like, like I said, value creative and are putting something good out into the world, and they just need help elevating their mission, communicating in a new and fresh way, and they're open to what that collaboration might look like. And I really honestly there are probably 50 other things I could use but finding those high quality clients really is a challenge and we're very fussy about who we work with. I say like, if we can help you know, values aligned folks, make some really interesting, impactful content, like you win, we all win, yes, all of us, absolutely.
Speaker 3:Because we're making the world a better place Absolutely Awesome. And then for people to do that, where can they connect with you?
Speaker 1:They can connect with me at Shannon, at the hooligansagencycom or at the hooligansagencycom. Yeah, I go. I can't remember our website for a second. Oh my God.
Speaker 3:You're like what's our organization?
Speaker 1:I don't know. Do you remember, cause I don't? I don't know, do you remember, cause I don't really frightening, but those two places are Twitter or you know all the usual places LinkedIn, Cool, Amazing.
Speaker 3:Shannon, thank you so much for the work that you were doing and for reaching out and being a listener of the show.
Speaker 1:Thank you for having me. It's such a joy. Now I don't do not want to listen to myself on a hike, but you know we'll skip the episode.
Speaker 3:You can send it to everybody else to check it out. Okay, I will Done Awesome. Thank you so much for being here.
Speaker 2:Thanks, dana. Can you tell I love talking all things digital To make this show better? I'd be so grateful for your feedback. Leave a review, take a screenshot of this episode, share it on Instagram stories and tag positive equation with one E so I can reshare and connect with you.
